Built in 1834-35 by unknown master builders, the Stepan Hindliyan House is one of the few symmetrical houses in Plovdiv, preserved in their original condition.

It’s located right next to the Balabanov house and is well known for its artistic and decorative ornamentation. Two artist painters known for their talent authored the decoration (one is thought to be Italian). The spacious hall on the second floor, known under the Turkish word hayet, features a fountain that poured rose water.

The wall decorations abound in intricate geometrical, architectural and floral motifs and landscapes with some of them depicting views of Saint Petersburg, Stockholm, Lisbon, Athens, Venice, Alexandria and Constantinople.

Stepan Hindliyan is known as the founder of a wealthy Armenian family in Plovdiv. He was a famous merchant, whose business frequently sent him as far as India, which is how he earned the nickname of Hindliyan.